Missouri River Basin Runoff Forecast Update

by USACE

OMAHA, NE - The 2018 runoff forecast in the Missouri River Basin above Sioux City, Iowa, is 29.0 million acre feet (MAF), 115 percent of normal according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) Missouri River Water Management Division. "The updated forecast increased from last month due to the continued accumulation of mountain and plains snowpack in the upper basin," said John Remus, Chief of the Missouri River Basin Water Management Division. "Based on the current plains and mountain snowpack, runoff into the Fort Peck and Garrison reservoirs is expected to be above average from March through July," said Remus.

All 2017 stored flood waters were evacuated from the Missouri River mainstem reservoir system (System) as of January 15, when the total volume stored in the System reached 56.1 MAF. System storage is currently 56.4 MAF, occupying 0.3 MAF of the 16.3 MAF flood control zone. "Nearly all of the System's flood storage is currently available to capture runoff from the remaining plains snowpack, spring rainfall and runoff from the mountain snowmelt," said Remus."